Twenty seven visual artists express, interpret and explore their belief for world peace.
The exhibition was conceived in response to the present hostile world events.
We all want a peaceful world, is it possible?

The exhibition will include all genres of the visual arts –
painting, drawing, sculpture, printmaking, photography, ceramics, film and video installation.
The following pages include a selection of artists from Concerning Peace Exhibition.
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G
E
O

R
G
E
G
I
T
T
O
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The Blindfolded Leading the Blindfolded - George Gittoes.
George Gittoes Australian artist, film producer, director and writer. In 1970 he established the Yellow House Artist Collective in Sydney. Gittoes’ work has consistently expressed his social,

political and humanitarian concern at the effects of

injustice and conflict. In 1986 he travelled to Nicaragua, and since then the focus of Gittoes’ work has been largely interna-

tional. He has travelled to and worked in many regions of conflict, including the Philippines, Somalia, Cambodia, Rwanda,
Bosnia, Bougainville, and South Africa. In recent years his work has especially centred on the Middle East, with repeated
visits to Israel and Palestine, Iraq, and Afghanistan. In 2011, he set up a new Yellow House, a multidisciplinary arts centre
in Jalalabad, Afghanistan. Among many prizes, Gittoes has twice been awarded the Blake Prize for Religious Art and in
2015 he was bestowed the Sydney Peace Prize.
At present he is working on establishing South Side Yellow House and a new SuperDoc in South Chicago, USA.

‘The painting The Blindfolded Leading the Blindfolded was made from drawings in my diaries at the time of the Siege of
the Red Mosque in Islamabad. A group of Al Queda fighters had been trapped and arrested, their heads were covered
with bags and they were hobbled together. To humiliate them, their cords and belts had been removed from their trousers.
They knew they were on their way to Guantanamo Bay or worse places of torture and imprisonment. Filming these men
stumbling in front of my camera was not enough to express the empathy I felt for them, so I made drawings that developed
into the painting. The reason I work in a variety of media is that none of them are adequate to fully express the
depth of experience, especially at the front line of human suffering.’

Past, Present and Future - Kathrin Longhurst.
‘With this painting I am reflecting on the notion of peace and the legacy that we are leaving behind for our
children. A disassembled gun references my past growing up in militarised East Germany. Being born in
1971 in East Berlin I spent my childhood during the height of the cold war, which came to be a direct

Lachie Hinton
Idomeni Riot and the Call for Peace
Lachie Hinton is an Australian figurative artist based in Sydney. His work explores the fundamentals of
human nature through the social and political forces that shape it. Examining the human condition across
contemporary societies and cultures, he characterises his subjects through an expressive interpretation of
experience. Through painting, drawing and elements of photojournalism, Hinton’s stylized imagery
oscillates between crisis points and the quotidian moments of everyday life.
Hinton’s art spans themes from human rights to social issues, sexuality and identity. He is no stranger to
zones of tension, having travelled to North Korea to capture daily life in the isolated nation in 2014 and
following the route of refugees through camps in Turkey and Greece during the European refugee crisis of
2016. Hinton is inspired to communicate stories and ideas through his subjects often in adverse
environments, illustrating social structures and frictions at play.

DELUGE - Bernadette Smith
This assemblage of photographic and found objects serves as a metaphor for climate crisis and threats to

global peace inviting the viewer to contemplate the need for water sustainability. Australiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s recent
scandals in the Murray Darling Basin involving water security and conflicts between states around distribution remind us that we live in the driest continent on Earth and this can no longer be ignored. Drought in the
Middle East for example has led to war and destabilisation while low lying Pacific islands are becoming
uninhabitable due to rising sea levels. The World Bank forecasts that: "Changes in water availability and

variability can induce forced migration and ignite civil conflict ... episodes of droughts and floods have
generated waves of migration and statistical spikes in violence within countries."
Closer to home my own parents became flood refugees who moved to Newcastle as a result of the 1955
Maitland Flood. They brought Maitland soil for their new garden to grow the best roses and gardenias in our
street.

EVE- Natalie Duncan
Key Words: Patriarchy, War, Creation story, Eve
Our consciousness stems from our awareness of our existence; to achieve peace we need a drastic rethinking of our
consciousness.
The effects of a patriarchal god on the consciousness of a culture cannot be overstated; even those who would contend
they are not religious exist with the ripple effects of a patriarchal god: the institution of marriage, gender roles that are reinforced in our education systems, and legal structures, all nurture these ideals. These effects foster a patriarchal psychology
that can never nurture equality, and, has strong connections to aggressive fundamentalism enforced by a rigid and
unchanging dogma. One of the greatest chapters in this rigid doctrine is the creation story of Adam and Eve. Children
indoctrinated in western religions are taught Eve was created after Adam, after the animals, from Adam’s rib, as his helper

in the Garden of Eden. We are told in this case, despite our knowledge of reproduction, woman comes from man. Further
to that, woman is responsible for the eternal expulsion from this paradise. This subjugation of women has laid the platform
for a religion that bases its very foundations, its creation story, in inequality. It has fostered a patriarchal entitlement that can
rationalise and justify war in the name of its god.
Artist Statement
This is Eve. She is responsible for the downfall of humanity. She thinks a lot about the fact that she was created as an
afterthought, from a rib bone, to be a helper. Eve is curious and adventurous. She is brave, she talks to snakes. She feels
in her soul something is not right in this paradise. What if she doesn’t want to be a helper, what if she doesn’t want to be
with Adam. What if she has children, what happens to them if they break the rules? What if they don’t love who they are
ordered to love? What happens if they don’t worship who they are told to worship? Eve decides to eat that fucking apple

WAR PARTY
The exhibition curators, artists Eric and Robyn Werkhoven are well known in the Hunter Valley,
NSW, for presenting powerful, thematic art exhibitions with social political, ‘cutting edge’ or
controversial content.

For the Concerning Peace exhibition the Werkhoven’s collaborative drawing WAR PARTY further explores their perpetual intrigue with the rituals, mysteries and absurdities of existence.
This exhibition was conceived in response to the present hostile world events.
War Party - combat ready with plans to blow up a path to the citadel, for the mind to be subjected and turned around on its heels, by the rhetoric of the propaganda machine.
The primal beat for waging war has existed since the dawn of civilization, led by greed and
lethal Gods.

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Dr. Mark
Elliot- Ranken
PEACE IS LUMINOUS, peace is
the light that illuminates all the
possibilities of what could be
before us and it is an echo of this
luminescence I have attempted
to create. The luminescence of

peace allows us to apprehend
the opposite. The horror of war
and its negation of hopes and
dreams allowing the horses of
the apocalypse free rein across a
landscape

The following pages contain poems of hostile world events by Brad Evans.
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over bomb craters
the pain
in Baghdad is there
and everywhere
and real
as
all day and night
the news reporters
report it:
on the faces of tired civilians
and soldiers fed up with Basra,
trying hard to find new reasons
for being where they now are.
Bush walks across the backyard grass
to play with his favourite pooch
Blair sips his coffee,
they smile,

they negotiate and bid,
promise freedom,
while they await
the anticipated carve-up of Iraq.

and they await...
to steal the oil
that Saddam had once stolen,
and to plant diseased fast food stores
over bomb craters
just like
everywhere else
in the
world.
- Brad Evans ÂŠ 2018.

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his motherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s guitar

and when she did

for Victor Jara, President Allende, and all the other
thousands of freedom fighters brutally murdered
during the Chile military coup from 1973 onwards...

and held her guitar

just a boy,
he would look at the instrument
in the corner of the room,
unplayed,
covered in Santiago dust,

as his mother
worked long hours

he wept
and remembered what she sung
and he played
he played the notes that became chords
he played the chords that became songs
and he played the songs that spoke of the real Chile
and young Victor played them for his mother
for all the times that she couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t play
while anchored to that market
and he played them for all those like her
wasting away in their own workplaces

at the local market

a stoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s throw from death

long hours

he played for the miners

that consumed her time

away from young victor
away from her guitar

he played for the young children living in squalor
the peasants
he played for all ordinary working people

and away from the songs

and he then played for a man who, in 1970, was to help
make Chile

in a workplace like that one
it took little time

so advanced,

for his mother to die

that even the cia would pay attention.

so progressive,

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and with song and sweat

and they came back for money

those who wanted change

and they came back for blood

changed their society
and began to develop it in such a way
that class gaps began to narrow
and while the poor now worked for better food
and an education

and after his final speech
they sent out the jets to murder Allende’s government
and at the Chile stadium in Santiago in ’73

the multinationals were given the arse.

came ONE dark record for humanity and a great one
for fascism

and mines became nationalised

as the CIA and the blind military lackeys

and workers got better conditions

marched the people around in blaring light and sound
and confusion

and unions thrived

and then came culture
and from the defeated grew seeds of hope and a proper life.

while victor got his final poem down, handed it to a
comrade

and by this time

and the sound of the machine guns echoed around the
stadium for days

victor’s songs were aired all over the country
and beyond,

and this golden period would

as the bodies began to pile up
and the rest of the world turned its back once again

"...I had come to Spain with some notion of writing
newspaper articles,
but I had joined the militia almost immediately,
because at that time and in that atmosphere it
seemed

the only conceivable thing to do...
It was the first time that I had ever been in a town
where the working class was in the saddle..."

What is this that I can hear?
The Spanish people are setting an example to
the rest of the world
What is this that I hear?
Revolutionary Songs amidst sounds of thunder
The principles of Anarchy made clear
Democracy no longer a myth
caught between a dictionary and the lying lips of
the careerist politician
Marxist theory leaping off the dusty page
penetrating this port city!

I see no salutes,
I see no superiors,
No racial inequality,
Women and men respecting each other
No privilege or seniority,
Waiters who look you straight in the eye
and who do not shy away from you
No scuttling for your orders,
fearing the boss's degrading reproach.
No men in business suits,
no landlady barking for rent
no banker hounding you for mortgage-mortgage
nor the mailshot they consider necessary.

Taking over the key industries
Eradicating land ownership
Class distinctions being destroyed for the sake of
freedom
The birth of Revolution now evident
A real future for all - becoming viable and wholesome...
Factories owned by workers
Ending capitalist dogma
Increasing production with a new and real morale
And the armchair lefty,
sipping the last of his coffee, his purpose made clear

What is this that I hear now?

Making his way to the Saragossa Front
To assist in the struggle to end all struggles:

The Unions are actually led by the workers?
A perfect unity, supporting the truest of causes:

VICTORIA PARA LOS OBREROS!

- Brad Evans ÂŠ 2018.
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DENISE LITHGOW

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38

Denise Lithgow
Denise Lithgow lives and works in her warehouse studio in Leichhardt, Sydney.

Denise specialises in Felting Sculptural Vessels
and jackets. She also creates 2D paintings using
machine embroidery with mixed media, including
fabric.
â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;My textile practice revolves around free flowing
design and bright, vibrant colours. This approach
is dispersed into different areas including silk
painting, dying fabrics, machine embroidery and
felting.

Once I was introduced to felt I was captivated by
its tactile qualities, rich range of colours and the
magical meshing of fibres which then can be
manipulated into forms and shapes to create
exotic wearable art.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;
Issue 26 - July 2018

DENISE LITHGOW - INTERVIEW
I work with 3D sculpture felt vessels and 2D textile art, also using felt combined with free machine embroidery and found
objects, building up the layers with colour and texture. My medium is dry colour, not wet. I also work with enthusiasm,
dedication and passion.

As a child I lived on a sheep property in rural South Australia where the landscape of the Mallee country was an everyday
experience. Some would say this is harsh country, but the subtleties of it contours must have instilled in me a love of
shapes and shadows, of textures and tones. I did not recognize this at the time, but perhaps in all of us, childhood sows
the seeds. I remember that my mother would gather beautiful seedpods and a twig to fill wide shallow bowls as table
decorations, and so I learned that what is abundant in nature is also available to art. If so many of my felt works speak of
seeds and pods and vessels, then some of this must have come from those long off places of my youth. The ever-present
sheep of course meant that it was not surprising that I embraced wool as a natural and sustainable medium for my work.

More recently time spent in the desert has enhanced the inspiration I get from landscape. Arkaroola is a favourite spot
where the natural colours, forms and textures inspire the inventive use of whatever is to hand, be it wool, scraps of
recycled cloth, leaves and rust for dyeing, sticks, stones and bark.
While my 2D textiles represent and interpret landscape, the vessels I create make links to one of the oldest human art
forms where these traditional pottery containers, used to store life-giving water, or precious oils or the ashes of the dead
are transformed using felt, one of the oldest known textiles.
Issue 26 - July 2018

I also like working tonally using black, greys and whites with strong, simplistic lines, which give the work strength. Pieces
like sea anemone have come from my observations as I walk along the beach and absorb my surroundings.
I wouldn’t say that I have always wanted to be an artist, but as my world became slowly enmeshed in the world of formal
art, through living and supporting the work of my artist life husband, Peter Griffen and through travel and study across the

art world I have been influenced by people such as the French textile artist Louise Bourgeois and the felt sculptures of the
USA’s Pamela McGregor and Australia’s Catherine O’Leary.

Working with wool requires technical knowledge and patience. The finished work must inspire, but the work studio must be
well organized. Behind the beauty of the finished product there is careful washing of the fleece, dying with natural dyes,

carding and correct storage in properly sealed bags or plastic tubes. Felting is a non-woven cloth that is produced by
matting, condensing and pressing woolen fibers. To date I have mostly used merino wool, but recent forays into using other
types of wool is teaching me new skills. Although most of my work to date has used merino wool, I am beginning to
experiment with the fibers from other breeds, and I am discovering that this can lead to new understanding of how the
medium works.

I do not impose too much preconception on my work beyond the broad idea of what I wish to achieve. No piece is ever
created until it is finished, and sometimes the final work will be quite different from the original conception, as the wool
takes you by surprise. I aim to produce work that is inventive and sculpturally interesting, and I react intuitively to what feels
right when I am working on a piece. I know it is good when I feel it is recognizably ‘me’.

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But apart from all this, there are two practical strands to my
practice as an artist. The first is to work at it constantly.
There is no simple way of encapsulating how a thing is
created, but there can be no doubt that constant attention to
the work makes it better. There can be no switch off button.
The second way in which I work is to remain open to learning
from others, through participation in workshops and
spending time with other artists, and through teaching. The
discussion with fellow artists about art and the way we work
has had an important impact on me as a member of the
Untethered Fibre Artists group. This group is increasingly
important in spreading the ideas and the creative discussion
between its members, to everyoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mutual benefit. Gaining
insight into how others work improves my own practice. I
teach workshops locally and internationally, and sharing
knowledge with others, especially new students, constantly
keeps me examining my own weaknesses and strengths.

I am represented in galleries throughout Australia and internationally and I regularly exhibit my textile art
and sculpture. My sculpture ‘The Link’ was selected for inclusion in Ellen Bakker, ‘Worldwide Colours of
Felt’, Netherlands, www.textile-link.com and my work is included in Andra Stanton’s ‘The Dimensional Cloth,
Sculpture by Contemporary Textile Artists’, Schiffer Publishing, 2018. I have exhibited widely, including, currently at Chateau de Gizeux, Loire Valley France, Collective Stitches exhibition through out UK and Europe,

and in 2018 Untethered Fibre Artists, “In Transit”, Tuggeranong Arts Centre, ACT, “Earth Poetry” Red Poles
Gallery in McLaren Vale, South Australia and The Space in Between, ATASDA exhibition at the Palm House,
Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney. My solo exhibitions have included Muswellbrook Regional Art Gallery and
The Design Gallery, Terrigal. In 2017 my sculpture was selected as a finalist in Scythia 8th International
awards, Ukraine and my works have been included in the prestigious “World of Threads Festival” Oakville,
Canada.
The Embroiderers’ Guild NSW have invited me to exhibit in the Festival of Machine Embroidery, Queen St
Concord West this September and the Untethered Fibre Artists will exhibit “Synthesis” at Gallery One 88,
Katoomba July

I regularly teach felt workshops, including, Portugal www.artinthealgarve.com, London with the International
Felt Association, Arkaroola Art Adventures, again this September and ArtEst Art School, Leichhardt and the
AGNSW.

Endless Suppositions
What is applicable under these circumstances,
to recoil from any more damage.
When it comes to putting the pieces togetherFor a murmur to attract worldwide attention,
alive to speak of thoughts to come.
So strong are these feelings, worked out in the minutest detail.
To make its debut on the stage of endless suppositions,
more to the point that you should be there.

But it is not to be only in my imagination,
that it seems to reverberate into the further most regions.
Where hence I havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t been before, but implore you to be my guide,
for the sky to trace these images onto the screen.
Better to remain cautious, to retain a sense of personal unfathomability.
Where a cry is heard in its most complete imperfection.

Listen instead, walk back to the starting point,
To unravel from these skeins, a complete vest to cover your nakedness.

JOERG LEHMANN
Photographer Joerg Lehmann born in Germany, now
living and working in Newcastle, NSW, Australia.
Lehmann also works as

an accomplished profes-

sional in medical physics in the field of radiation
oncology.
His love for photography started from young and now
as a professional photographer explores his passion
for lighting, upon his subjects.
Artist, writer and photographer Maggie Hall presents

How do you balance your time between work as a medical physicist and researcher/
Professor at the hospital and universities with your work in the studio as a photographer?

It’s not easy. I try to be efficient, I don’t take (long) breaks and I eat some meals while

working. I don’t sit round much, watching TV or playing games (although both are worthwhile activities at times).
I’ve been trying to combine Medical Physics and Photography with somewhat limited
success. They are both dealing with different wavelengths of radiation, but I don’t think that
is the main crossover.

Being, not to long ago one of the subjects of your photography, I did notice there is a strong presence of observation from
your position as the photographer, from an observational standpoint, curious to the reaction of the subject under the certain
given conditions which present themselves during the photoshoot; through the light manipulations and the constant
changing environments, as a scientist and a photographer would you say that this is an extension of your studies and
research into, radiation, physics. Is it conscious or sub-conscious?

I don’t think it’s a conscious extension, in my creative work, I definitely often operate from an observational standpoint
which can be the reason for some sessions to take longer. I develop an idea of what I want to do but I don’t work out the
details religiously to the end. I have a starting point for the lighting and I have the set-up.
Obviously in your case you brought some of your own props which greatly enhanced the effect and gave us a much greater
variety. In general I have the concept in mind though not necessarily the final look. Often the best photo from a session
comes from an unexpected change. I incorporate the models into the process. Starting with what I have or what I bring in to
the set up I observe and give the model room to express herself and contribute in their way. I know other photographers,
masters that I look up to, have exactly in mind what they want to do with the model and put them precisely in the position
that they envision, and that’s their photo.
I admire this method. But I don’t / can’t work that way. I think I’m too curious to explore what else can be done then to plan
and execute a creative shoot in every detail. Very often the input from the model even if subtle changes the initial concept
and improves the final image.

This is, obviously different for commercial work, where details need to be planned and

Many of the greatest directors of all time use this method, each have qualities they look for in
the subjects before them, do you have certain requirements that the sitter must come prepared
with onto the shoot?
The requirements depend on the specifics of the situation and the type of shoot. For creative
fine art work I will discuss the concept and the vision beforehand with the model. Those will
determine any preparations. I hope that they are followed and additionally, I just require the
basics: be on time and have clean fingernails.

Where are you moving towards within your photographic practice over the next few years?
That is hard to say. I’m constantly learning and discovering new aspects and subjects. I like working
with other creatives, for instances in the Film Noir type photography telling a story.
About 6 months ago I have started a black and white portrait series of people around a food service
for homeless people on Friday nights. . I would like to expand upon that. I’m still looking for a good
place to get the images published and shown once completed.
I will continue to develop my studio work, looking into more experimental lighting set ups. I think
portraiture in the wider sense is an area where you can never stop improving your craft.

I also enjoy teaching photography. I teach whole day workshops at Finite Gallery in Caves Beach
and I use my studio here at NAS for teaching. Together with my studio partners Stuart Marlin and
Niamh Fitzsimons we will be teaching a 12 week course with 2 hour sessions once a week covering
starting in a few weeks. The course will cover many aspects of photography and will end with an
exhibition of the students’ work here at the NAS gallery.

I find working with students very rewarding. It is not only good to pass on knowledge, but you
learn so much while teaching. I have taught photography (and Medical Physics) throughout my
whole career. The input from curious and gifted students can be extremely valuable and inspiring.

Where does your interest in Film Noir stem from; is it linked
to the old movies or does it come from your continued interest and study in physics and medicine ?
It started with a suggestion from a friend. Knowing my keen
interest in lighting, she wanted me to teach a workshop of

photography in the Film Noir style as part of her Renegade
Photography group in San Francisco. I’ve always done a lot
of black and white photography, but this required some
homework. I watched segments of the classic movies and
looked at film stills in books. I really liked the lighting and
figured out how it was done. I enjoyed the drama in the look
of the people in the more formal wear as well as the
elegance in the positions.
Working with teams of very talented people I have had the
chance to create a number of short “story series” in the Film
Noir style. These series are sequences of 5 to 20 images
which tell a short story. They mainly live from the visual
aesthetics, we also try to make the stories fun.
Themes are generally those of the Film Noir movies
involving murder, gangsters, femme fatales, and love
triangles.
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Do you see photography changing because of the technology we now have available.
How do you see these changes effecting the industry?
Phones are definitely taking over the everyday photography and people produce incredible work with them. They are fast
becoming more skilled using them and phone cameras have dramatically advanced in their technology.
I believe there is still going to be room for the more complex and traditional digital cameras. The bar is being set higher,
but I think you can tell the difference when you see a really good photo. It jumps out at you and there is a clear quality
difference in a well done photo with a high end camera. While I would argue that for many situations now the skill is more
important than the tool, for some things you need the high quality lens, the fast autofocus and the larger sensor. The gap is
getting smaller, and a lot of great and enjoyable images are being created with fairly inexpensive cameras. I think that’s
great on many levels. But photography is always going to be a field of study and profession. There may be fewer
professional cameras and they might change from one format to another. Sometimes interest in the old cameras and techniques comes back. The other day I had the chance to take a portrait of a friend on a tinplate using the setup, camera,
preparations and chemicals of a very kind local colleague, and it was a fantastic experience. Things might change but good
photography will continue to bring joy for many more years to come.

2018 Women Painting Women
- Vicki Sullivan
In 2015 I saw on the Internet some of the Women Painting Women exhibitions happening in the USA. It
occurred to me that the idea was terrific and could be a great way to showcase both Realist figurative
painting and Women artists here in Australia. As a portrait artist I had quite a few friends who had work
which had been entered in shows and perhaps only seen once and so quite a few of us had some work
ready to go. I called each one and told them that I was going to try and find a venue and if I could find the
right place I asked if they would be interested in being involved. The response was a positive YES.

Soon after I was asked to judge an art show and one of the judges was JD Mittman the curator of Burrinja
Cultural Centre, we got talking and I ran my idea by him.

Women Painting Women is a major exhibition of figurative Realism in oil painting and bronze sculpture.
Curated by JD Mittman the show will be held at the Burrinja Cultural Center in Upwey Victoria

from Saturday 21st July until Sunday 19th August.
The Exhibition presents seven award winning realist artists from Victoria, New South Wales and

South Australia including Fiona Bilbrough, Dagmar Cyrulla , Raelene Sharp, Sally Ryan,
Vicki Sullivan , Megan Roodenrys along with sculptor Heather Ellis.
Taking its inspiration from the Women Painting Women exhibitions in the United States, this is the second
Australian instalment of the Women Painting Women phenomenon which celebrates contemporary realist

painting and sculpting and the talent of female artists. Honouring the human spirit and exploring the
complexity of being a woman today.
Featuring well known Australian women as subjects such as Yorta Yorta Opera Singer Deborah Cheetham,
former Australian of the year Rosie Batty, actor Sigrid Thornton and founder of youth without borders
Yassmin Abdel Magied along with self-portraits of the artists and portraits of family and friends,

the

exhibition highlights the power and insight of women painting women and situates the artistsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; work within
the broader art historical context.
â&#x20AC;&#x153;Women Painting Women" explores how contemporary women painters are handling women as subjects.
The movement was founded by three contemporary women artists from the USA, Alia El-Bermani, Diane
Feissel and Sadie Valerie, and has spread across the USA , the UK and Australia.
Issue 26 - July 2018

BERNADETTE MEYERS
Freelance artist, photographer and teacher.
Bernadette creates works on paper with photography,
watercolour, mixed media, printmaking and encaustic.
Bernadette is the creative force of Breeze Photography
based in Collaroy, NSW.

www.breeze.pics

‘My father was a photographer and picture-framer, so from
as early as I can remember, I have been surrounded by
pictures.

After leaving school, I studied fine art, majoring in printmaking, design and photography.’
Bernadette presently lives in Sydney's beautiful Northern
Beaches with her husband and their daughter who is a ballet
dancer.
‘Our life is filled with art, nature and dance’.

At the end of last year, I spent a couple of months sorting my photo library of over 50,000 images into
collections by theme. It was a fascinating process to reflect on years of picture making and see the

common threads. I’m continually drawn to the narrative of the circle of life. The theme of “passage”
recurs over and over. Passage of time and

passage in the sense of way or journey, both physically and

metaphorically. I tend to focus in on one detail and let everything else fade into insignificance. This is true of
the art I make on paper as well as my photographic art.

I think I was always destined to be an artist, I was one of those school kids who got in trouble for decorating
the pages of my maths book instead of doing the work. My projects were always about presentation rather
than content and I began training in Ceramics and Fine Arts when leaving school. After 4 years of ceramics,
I studied a further 3 years of Fine Arts, majoring in Printmaking, Design and Photography. Since 1995 I have
been exhibiting and teaching. I work mostly on paper with printmaking, photography, water colour, collage,
encaustic, artist books and installation.
Last year, I moved back to my home town of Sydney after living in and travelling to many different places in
Australia, UK and Europe over the years. Everywhere I live or visit, I create artwork in some form and am

influenced by the surroundings.
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Home is somehow safe and comforting, on the
other hand, I crave the adventure and novelty
of new places and the challenge of what I can

create in my style at that particular place.
The beauty of creation is a huge influence in
my work over the years. Personally, I’m
awestruck by grand vistas such as dramatic
coastlines and mountain ranges, however, I
don’t have any real way of depicting them in my
art other than in series. I’m always drawn to
details. To a single feather, leaf, seedpod, fern
frond, fungi, shell, piece of seaweed etc. Or to
the colours and textures of a place or thing. It
is all the little parts which come together to tell
the story for me.
Dragonfly, Mixed media collage, encaustic, H12.5 x W 12.5cm.
Bernadette Meyers.
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Another life-long love is books, calligraphy, letterforms and illuminated manuscripts. When visiting art exhibitions I much prefer intimate works on paper to large canvases. There is something appealing about their
ephemeral and personal nature. My favourite part of any retrospective, is the collection of sketchbooks and
drawings, usually at the end of the show - where one can see the artist’s thoughts and process. I also find

the practice of keeping sketchbooks and journals essential to my life and work. I enjoy filling them and
looking back through them years later.
People talk about getting into the flow when they are creating art. I find this experience two pronged. Much
of my time is spent collecting reference material in sketch books or with the camera. Mostly I don’t really
know what I will use the images for, I’m simply exploring some beautiful aspect of nature or a place,
knowing that I will use it later. This stage is almost like a form of meditation for me. I allow myself to get
completely lost in whatever it is, whether it is the tulip gardens in Holland, or the bronze relief sculptures on
the door of Gaudi’s La Sagrada Famillia Cathedral in Barcelona. I have no agenda, just wide eyed wonder
and an explorer’s heart. Then there is the art creation stage, when I’m actually producing a piece of work for
an exhibition. I have a lot more purpose and direction when I’m in that process and I find it much more
physically and mentally taxing although time still goes into a warp of some sort.

Life can be huge and overwhelming and I find that I need
to screen a lot of things out of my world in order to
survive emotionally. By doing that, I intentionally look for
the beauty and good around me and find it everywhere,
every day. It is so easy to be overcome by the exquisiteness of the details of a feather if you stop and take the
time to draw it for half an hour.
The main reason that I create my art is to draw attention
to the wonder that is right in front of us each day and to
hopefully bring extra joy and peace into the viewers world
when they come in contact with my work.

Recently I had an exhibition with two other artists called The Creative Spirit. For my part, I made photography and installation work based on six of my creative friends, examining their creative processes and our
relationship. This series is called Nature’s Song and is based on Christine Moussa, a singer and songwriter

who is influenced by nature. She has been a dear friend to me for over twenty years and I’ve seen the
strength of her creativity run deep. She hears the song of nature in plants, flowers, water and wind. These
images speak of her connection with nature and music. Chris is tough and strong in spirit, yet it is her
incredible kindness and gentleness that is her strength. When she sings, a huge voice comes from a tiny
frame. She loves beauty and she is beauty itself, so this series had to be beautiful. Her friendship is infinitely precious to me, so the artwork had to have a sense of preciousness. She has a soft, sweet heart and
I wanted to convey that aspect. We have been through many seasons of life together, so I chose images
from nature which represent different seasons, stages and times. For the installation, I used silver paint to
write lyrics from the words of one of Chris’s songs “Hope” on watercolour paper and hung them as vertical
scrolls. The paper has been dipped in encaustic wax to preserve it. I also used other natural elements feathers, gilded with silver leaf and driftwood pieces as the hangers as well as crystal beads. Everything is
linked together with silver motifs such as feather, butterfly, dragonfly, leaf, tree and flower pieces hung from
silk seam binding and wire.

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I photograph creative people for their websites and these
photos of Mirre Van Dalen are from her performance installation artwork at Eramboo last year, which was Part 2 of
Zwarte Bloem, a project she first started in 2009 in the empty
rooms of the former mental hospital in Rozelle. In the initial
artwork, Mirre wore a calico toile of a wedding dress while
she dipped coloured flowers into black paint. The flowers
represented the lives of people with mental health issues
and the black paint, the difficulties they have experienced. In
this second act, Mirre once again wore the toile and dipped
the black flowers in white paint - bringing hope to broken
lives. I also created an installation in response to Mirre’s
work, based on my auntie’s long journey of recovery from
alcoholism as part of The Creative Spirit exhibition. My beautiful auntie came to the exhibition opening and stood in front
of the installation weeping. She said that she could see
herself in the artwork and told me something I didn’t
previously know - that she had been in that hospital 49 times
before she begged the nurses to keep her until she was
sober. That was 20 years ago and she hasn’t touched
alcohol since.
Left: Mirre, photographic print, H60 x W40cm. Bernadette Meyers.
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This year I have had two exhibitions and am now working on a coffee table book with a client. It is her concept, and my part
is the photography, watercolour art and book design, layout and web design. With this major project, I have decided not to
have any more exhibitions until at least the end of the year.
When I packed up my studio at Martins Creek to move to the UK a few years ago, I had to put my etching press and other
equipment into storage. Since then, I have worked increasingly with the camera because it is portable. I offer portraits,
headshots and other commercial photography, however, I consider myself primarily an artist rather than a photographer.
The camera is one of the many art mediums I choose to work with. My initial training was with film and I process my digital
images with filmic looks and print on matt, fine art papers reminiscent of the etching process. People often ask me what the
work is and are surprised that they are simply photographs, not etchings.

Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m currently working toward putting some of my tens of thousands of photographic images into collections on my website
for sale as fine art prints with the aim of creating a suitable portfolio to approach property stylists, interior designers and
architects.
My long term plan is to continue to create art in mixed media and work more with creative people documenting them
working at their art. - Bernadette

My visit to the Palace of Knossos and the Archaeological Museum of
Heraklion on the island of Crete - Lorraine Fildes

Palace of Knossos
This year I visited Crete and toured the Palace of Knossos and the Archaeological Museum of Heraklion.
First I will take you to the Palace of Knossos. The architecture and art work that I saw at the Palace of
Knossos seemed familiar to me, and on reading about the excavations and reconstructions done by the

archaeologist Sir Arthur Evans I understood why.
Many archaeologists wanted to excavate areas in Crete but it was British archaeologist, Arthur Evans who
secured the rights to excavate and on 23 March 1900 broke the ground at the site of Knossos. It was Evans
who uncovered the Knossos Palace and brought to light an unknown civilisation, possibly the oldest in
Europe. Evans designated the building at Knossos a â&#x20AC;&#x153;Palaceâ&#x20AC;? and named the civilisation that had built it the
Minoans, after King Minos of Greek mythology. Three other Minoan palaces have been uncovered on Crete:
Phaistos, Malia and Zakros, but Knossos was by far the largest. Also many cemeteries and caves have
since been uncovered and these have provided a wealth of information about the early inhabitants of Crete.

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These were not ‘Palaces’ as we know them – where the royal family and their entourage reside. The Minoan
Palaces of Crete appeared to serve many purposes: residence for the royal family, seat of administration
and justice, commercial and manufacturing centres and control of the economic and productive activities of
the surrounding area. Religious elements were found throughout the Palaces and the west wing is believed
to have been dedicated to the cult of the Mother Goddess.
As Evans excavated the Knossos site he discovered that it had been occupied long before 3000 BCE – a
well established Neolithic culture had existed there. He found that Knossos had been destroyed and rebuilt
a number of times. The first Minoan palace - the ‘Old Palace’ - was first built about 1900 BCE and then
destroyed about 1700 BCE (possibly by earthquake) and then was magnificently rebuilt only to be
destroyed again about 1400 BCE, possibly by an earthquake or by invaders from the Greek main land, or
both. This marked the end of Minoan culture.

It is the Palace that was gradually built between 1700-1400 BCE, that we mainly see at the archaeological

site of Knossos today. The need for conservation of the Palace was obvious from the first years of
excavation. The fragile materials from which the Palace was built proved susceptible to weathering. It was
necessary to restore the great staircase, for example, otherwise it would have collapsed onto the workmen.
During the first phase of their restoration attempts in 1905, Evans and his colleagues confined themselves
to protecting the ruins.

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Evans was struck by the familiar nature of the Palace architecture and decoration to Art Nouveau (1890 to
1910) in England. He even compared a fresco fragment from Knossos to a wallpaper design done by
William Morris (one of the founders of Art Nouveau).
The Art Nouveau architects readily employed new materials and painted in bright colours as did the
Minoans. The Art Nouveau architects and artists were inspired by nature â&#x20AC;&#x201C; flowers, animals and natural
forms and so were the Minoans. Like the practitioners of Art Nouveau the Minoans were fond of mixing
materials, and decorating walls from floor to ceiling. Minoan pottery is richly ornamented with paint or clay
paste, often in the curling, intricate designs that so appealed to the Art Nouveau artists. The theory of Art
Nouveau, influenced Evanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s understanding and interpretation of the Minoan Knossos Palace.
In 1925 Evans started large-scale restorations at the Palace of Knossos. Because Minoan art seemed so
like the Art Nouveau of his time its restoration posed no particular problems to him. Evans was encouraged
to fill the void left by the absence of textual sources from the Minoan period and to repair the damage into
which the Palace of Knossos had fallen, relying to a degree on this sense of familiarity to guide him in his

choices, rather than on strict scientific method. The result is part reconstruction, part fanciful reinvention.

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We should not criticise what Evans did back in the early 20 th Century as archaeologists of his time did not
have today's scientific approach to archaeology. We should be pleased that he sunk so much of his personal
fortune into the excavations and restorations at Knossos. The restorations performed by Evans are
inaccurate, and there is a feeling that many of the details were made using "educated guesses". For the

visitor, such as me, the restorations helped me to visualise some of the magnificent features of the Palace.
A visit to an unrestored archaeological site can be uninspiring - many ancient sites can appear to be piles of
unorganized stones, broken columns and other fragments. The beautiful, although often

inaccurate,

restorations of architecture and wall paintings by Evans evoke the elegance and skill of Minoan architects
and painters. The ‘restored ruins’ captured my interest and helped me to have a much better understanding
of the site than without any reconstruction.

The reconstruction impose Evans’s ideas as well as the

aesthetics of his age on the ‘restored Palace’.

Evans’s reconstruction of the Palace has become an

intricate part of the Knossos Palace and its history.
I took many photos at the Palace of Knossos, but it was the architectural and fresco reconstructions that
Evans had done that gave me the best understanding of the Minoan civilization.

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West Court, West Faรงade of the Palace
We entered the Palace of Knossos via the West Faรงade. This photo shows the West Court and side of the
Palace. The Palace faรงade is constructed of massive gypsum blocks set on a plinth. The faรงade is indented
or protrudes corresponding to the interior arrangement of space.

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The Reconstructed South Propylaeum
Next we went to the ‘South Propylaeum’. It was
reconstructed by Evans and has a Mycenaean
look to it, and this is because Evans at first
thought he was excavating a Mycenaean Palace.
Evans put up an ‘embellished copy’ of the ‘CupBearers’ fresco here. The wall painting depicts
men holding libation rhytons. (Libation is a drink
poured out as an offering to a deity and a rhyton
is a container from which the fluid is poured.)

Left: detail, full image page

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These pithoi or large
storage jars were on
the east side of the
Propylaeum. They are
from 1450 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 1100
BCE.

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‘Horns of Consecration’
The horns in this photo are located near the South Propylaea.
They are the great limestone
‘horns of consecration’. The horns
appear to have been restored

with cement. Different depictions
of horns of consecration can be
found throughout Minoan culture,
overall, the bull was considered to
be a sacred animal in ancient

Crete, playing a large role in
religious rituals.

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South Entrance, Corridor with the ‘Prince of the Lilies’ Fresco
The section of the corridor closest to the Central Court is reconstructed. A few fragments of a fresco were
found here. From these fragments it was possible to make out a figure wearing jewellery in the shape of
lilies. Evans called the fresco ‘Prince of the Lilies’. The original fragments are now in the Heraklion Museum.
Evans had an ‘embellished copy’ of the fresco painted here. Note the red cement column – originally it would

have been a wood column painted red.

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East Wing
The Grand Staircase of the East Wing at Knossos has four stair flights, descending to the ‘Veranda of
the Royal Guard’. The reconstructed pillars of cement are painted red and the shield fresco In the background is an ‘embellished copy’ of the fresco fragments that are in the Heraklion Museum.

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Central Court and Entrance to the Throne Room
The Central Court (dimension approximately 50 x 25m) is an architectural element common to all Minoan palaces. The
Court connects the different wings with one another. This photo shows a section of the Central Court and the entrance to
the anteroom which leads to the Throne Room.

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The West Wing and the ‘Throne Room’
The ‘Throne Room’ is in the West Wing of the palace and is
a level walk from the Central Court yard. It is the most
famous room unearthed by Evans. It was separated from
the Central Court by an anteroom. When I entered the ante-

room you could look into the ‘Throne Room’ - there was an
oppressive quality about it due to its low ceiling and lack of
windows.

If you look at my photo you will see that the

throne is placed along a side wall facing across the room.
The throne is probably the oldest known throne in Europe.
On either side of the throne there are stone benches and in
front of the throne a stone ‘bath’. On the wall behind the
benches is a fresco depicting plants and griffins, (mythical
beasts with a lino’s body and bird’s head). This painting is
an ‘embellished copy’ - the restored fresco is in the Heraklion Museum. The throne looked directly at an area cut by a

low wall and brightly painted columns. This area has a sunken floor. Evans thought this area was used for purification
ceremonies. It seems unlikely to have been a ‘Throne Room’
in the modern sense of the word. Some have argued that it
was not in fact a throne room used by a king but an area
used for religious cult practices.
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The ‘Hall of the Double

Axes’
The ‘Hall of the Double Axes’ was
so named by Evans due to the
double-axe signs engraved on the
walls of the light-well at its rear.
I was unable to photograph the
double-axe signs. The Hall of the
Double Axes was a double chamber with an inner and an outer
space. The inner space could be
closed off by eleven sets of
double doors to give privacy. The
photo below shows the reconstructed columns in front of the
‘Hall of the Double Axes’ and the
reconstructed timber frames of
the doorways.

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‘Queen’s Megaron’
Near the ‘Hall of the Double Axes’
is

a

smaller

hall,

comparably

arranged and richly decorated.
Evans thought that it must have
belonged to the Queen. Fragments
of frescoes with dolphins and
dancing ladies were found. The
room is largely restored and copies
of the wall paintings have been put
up on the walls. The original fresco
fragments are in the Heraklion
Museum.

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North Entrance – North Pillar Hall
An open air passage linked the Central Court with the North Entrance. It was paved but very narrow. Right and left were two raised colonnades
known as ‘Bations’. Arthur Evans reconstructed the ‘Bation’ on the west side. He also placed an ‘embellished copy’ of a restored relief fresco of
a bull there. The wall painting may have formed part of a hunting scene. The original fragments of the fresco are in the Heraklion Museum.

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The Royal Road’ and ‘Theatral Area’
‘The Royal Road’ is one of the oldest roads
in Europe. As it approaches the Palace, the
The area shown in the photo below was called the ‘Theatre’ by Evans because its shape

roads divides into two. One road goes to

reminded him of later theatres. ‘The Theatral Area’ is a paved and about thirteen metres by

the ‘Theatral Area’, while the other road

ten. Around it is an L-shaped area of steps which would offer standing room for about 500

leads to the West Court. Along the road

people. This is a small area for the large size of the palace. Evans believed that the court

were town houses with workshops on the

was used for ceremonies watched by standing viewers.

ground floor and residential areas on the
upper floor. Imagination is needed to
picture it as it would have originally been
because today it passes along a deep, tree
-lined trench.

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The Archaeological Museum of Heraklion
After our visit to the Palace of Knossos archaeological site we headed to the Archaeological Museum of Heraklion. This museum is one of the
largest and most important museums in Greece. It houses representative artefacts from all the periods of Cretan prehistory and history, covering
a chronological span of over 5,500 years from the Neolithic period to Roman times. Its extensive Minoan collection, is the most comprehensive in
the world and includes everything from sarcophagi to fresco wall art. As I had just visited the Palace of Knossos I concentrated my time on the
Minoan civilization art. My photos of the Minoan pottery, carved stone objects, seals, small sculptures, sarcophagi, funeral items and fresco
wall-paintings will give you some idea of the magnificence of the Minoan collection held by the museum. Most of the information about the
artefacts in the Museum are from the labels that were placed next to the items.
The two vases below are examples of Neolithic pottery found on Crete. They were just too magnificent not to photograph.

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This and the next pages show photos
of fine wheel produced pottery made
by the Minoans.
This pottery was called Kamares ware.
Fine clay, thrown on the wheel, permitted
precisely

fashioned

forms,

which

were

covered with a dark-firing slip and exuberantly painted with slips in white, reds and
browns in fluent floral designs, of rosettes or
conjoined

coiling

and

uncoiling

spirals.

Designs are repetitive or sometimes freefloating, but always symmetrically composed.
Themes from nature include octopuses,
shellfish, lilies, crocuses and palm-trees, all

highly stylized. The entire surface of the pot
is densely covered, but sometimes the space
is partitioned by bands. The pottery was
named after finds in the cave sanctuary at
Kamares on Mount Ida.

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Large Jars
Elaborately decorated large jars have been found in the Minoan palaces, urban houses and peripheral centres. They were used to store and
transport liquid commodities such as wine and olive oil. Their decoration with religious symbols, such as double axes and bullsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; heads made
these vessels valuable display objects.

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The ‘Snake Goddesses’ and other Miniature
Objects from the Temple Repositories of
Knossos
The most important cult objects from the Knossos
Temple Repositories are the figurines of the ‘Snake
Goddess’. They are named after the snakes twining
around the body and arms of the larger figure, and
the two snakes that the small figure holds in her
upraised hands. The snakes symbolise the chthonic
(relating to or inhabiting the underworld) character of
the cult of the goddess, while the feline creature on
the head of the smaller figure suggests her dominion
over

wildlife.

The

goddesses

wear

luxurious

garments, consisting of a long flounced skirt, an
embroidered apron and a close-fitting bodice that
exposes the large breast, symbolic of the fertility of
women, the goddess and, by implication, nature
itself.

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Bull shaped rhyton â&#x20AC;&#x201C; libation
vessels. The painted red covering the body of one, and the cut
horns with rings, refer to the

Stone bullâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s head rhyton, left side of head and horns restored. It is a masterpiece of Minoan art, worked with
great precision to render the natural features of the real
animal. The snout is outlined with and inlay of white seashell, while the preserved right eye is inlaid with rock
crystal, with rim and iris of red jasper.
This vessel would have been used for libations, as indicated by the hole in the neck for filling and the corresponding hole in the snout for pouring out the liquid.
Knossos Palace, 1600-1450 BCE.

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The â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Poppy Goddessâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;
The largest of the figurines from Gazi, this is the only one crowned with
models of opium poppy fruit. The symbol of opium, a hallucinogen
known for its sedative and healing properties, conveys the message
the goddess relieves pain and heals her worshippers. 1300-1200 BCE.

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The Phaistos Disc
The

enigmatic

inscribed

clay

Phaistos Disc takes pride of place
in the history of Cretan scripts. It
bears forty-five pictorial signs, arranged in different combinations
into sixty-one groups, separated
by incised lines, presumably representing words. The signs were
stamped on both sides of the disc.
Experts have not yet deciphered
the Cretan scripts. The repetition
of certain combinations of signs
provides the most persuasive evidence that the inscription is a
hymn or a text of magic character.
(1700-1750 BCE.)

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Stone vases are amongst some of the earliest surviving artefacts from the Minoan civilization with examples from the early
Minoan phase between 2500 and 2000 BCE. The design and material were matched so that elegant forms brought to the
fore the natural colour variations of the stone

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Wine Production
Wine played an important role in

religious, economic and social
life. Evidence of wine consumption is provided by the large
numbers of storage, pouring and
drinking vessels.
Wine making is indicated by clay
vessels for treading grapes and
collecting the juice. They consist
of a clay basin with a spout at the
base, and a collector placed

Arkalochori Cave
A large assemblage of metal objects, used for religious
rites and as votive offerings, was found in a small cave
at Arkalochori in central Crete. The assemblage

includes large bronze votive double axes, and a wealth
of miniature double axes in gold, silver and bronze and
pieces of gold foil. The reason the objects were place
in such a small cave is unknown â&#x20AC;&#x201C; may be a hoard of
valuable metal objects hidden due to imminent danger.
(1700-1450 BCE.)

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Weapons and Authority Symbols
A large number of luxurious swords and daggers were found at Malia Palace. These objects were intended for display
rather than use. Gold was often used to decorate the handle of the swords and sometimes finished with a large pommel of
elephant ivory as shown in the photo.
All these objects were status insignia, emblems of rank, office and authority for members of the Palace hierarchy (18001600 BCE).

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T
H
E

T
H
E
W

O
R

L

A
R
N

A
K

L
D

O
F
T
H
E
D

E

E

S

D

A

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Clay larnakes or coffins were used for burial by
the Minoans. There were two types of larnakes
as you can see from the photos below. The
first is in the shape of a chest with a gabled lid,
while the second resembles a bathtub. The
deceased was placed in a foetal position,
perhaps signifying the symbolic return to the
beginning of life in the primeval womb.
The larnakes are decorated in the same style
and technique as the frescoes on the walls of
the Palaces. Iconographic themes are mostly
inspired by the plant, animal and marine
worlds. These themes depict an abstractive
version

of

the

Minoan

paradise.

Marine

creatures symbolise the sea across which lie
the isles of the blessed dead and the Elysian
Fields (the final resting place of the souls of the
heroic and the virtuous). This other world of
peace and eternal spring is indicated by trees,
plants, birds and animals painted on the
larnakes sides (2600-1900 BCE).
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Athletes and Acrobats â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Bull-leaping
An important aspect of Minoan public life was the organised spectacles at which trained athletes engaged in contests of
strength, endurance and skill. The most spectacular Minoan acrobatic sport was bull-leaping, in which young, trained
athletes made a dangerous leap over the horns and back of a charging bull. Athletes of both sexes took part. The contests
would have been held in outdoor spaces or in the courts of the palaces. The spirit of competition and excellence first

cultivated by the Minoans was revived centuries later in the Olympic Games of ancient Greece whose establishment was
linked by mythological tradition to Crete.

The bull leaper (c.1500 BC), an ivory figurine, part
of a bull-leaping composition, from the palace of
Knossos. The elongation of the limbs indicates
the tension and direction of the leaperâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s efforts.
This is thought to be the first attempt to render the
instantaneous, free rotation of a carved figure in
three-dimensional space. It is assumed that thin
gold pins were used to suspend the figure over a
bull.

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As you can see from my photos of the frescoes that Evans had painted on the walls of the Knossos Palace and the following original fragments of the frescoes that were found at the site – Evans has had the frescoes greatly embellished.

This fresco decorated the wall of the ‘Queen’s Megaron’.

This fresco decorated the wall of the North entrance hall.

Looks familiar to you? I showed you earlier the copy Evans had

Looks familiar to you? I showed you earlier the copy

painted on the reconstructed wall at the Knossos

Evans had painted on the reconstructed wall at the

1450 BCE.

Palace 1600-

Knossos, Palace, West Bastion of the North Entrance
Passage. 1600-14500 BCE.

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A bull-leaping scene vividly depicting how the spectacular sport was performed.
There are three participants, two white-skinned women and a brown-skinned man. One of the female athletes is restraining
the bull by the horns to reduce its speed and hence help the leaper performing the dangerous backwards somersault. The
second female athlete, behind the bull, is waiting with outstretched arms to catch the leaper as he lands.
The fresco was found on the east side of the palace of Knossos, together with fragments of others depicting different

stages of the same sport. Knossos-Palace, 1600-1400 BCE.

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This fresco decorated the wall in a corridor
of the South entrance. Looks familiar to
you? I showed you earlier the copy Evans
had painted on the reconstructed wall at the
Knossos, Palace, South entrance corridor
1600-1450 BCE

Ken O'Regan
Ken O'Regan is a mid-career Australian artist from Newcastle.
Over the last fifteen years artist Ken Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Regan has developed

sculptural

practices that combine found object assemblage with environmental themes.
His practice has involved producing large

installations that visually echo

museums, stained glass windows, mandalas and neon signage. His work
frequently uses light to make these references and this has extended his
practice into the area of sculptural lantern making.
Ken Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Reganâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s practice is based on both the use of waste

materials as art

media to create large assemblages for exhibition, or on the use of bamboos

and cane to create large scale installations for events. His work is strongly
concept driven but it still remains immediately connected to the physicality
of the materials and to the processes necessary to convert them to his
aesthetic needs.
Ken O'Regan's work is held in the collections of the Newcastle Art Gallery,

Wallsend District Library, The University of Newcastle and in many important
private collections.

JUDY HENRY
Artist Judy Henry’s studio and home is in Paterson, situated
in the rural Hunter Valley NSW.
Judy began her career as a Photographic Colourist in 1960’s
-1970’s. Judy went on to study Fine Arts, at Hunter Institute
of Technology Newcastle 1980’s and Visual Arts at the
University of Newcastle 1990’s.

Judy says of her latest exhibition Childhood Memories “In this exhibition my artworks came from my childhood
memories, While sitting in my studio I was reflecting on what
I liked doing when I was child.

“ My work is primarily about landscape
and aims to explore patterns within the
environment, formed as a result of the
Interplay between topography, vegetation
and by extension shadow and light. Each
landscape has a pattern unique to itself,
this pattern resembles a topographical
script, which in turn, informs the characteristics of each individual landscape. I
use a restricted palette to help articulate

this concept to the viewer, to draw them
into the work and allow them to focus on
this idea of pattern forming script and
then developing into the language of a
landscape. Recently I have extended my
enquiry to include the exploration of
mans impact on these environments and
the subsequent interruption and disruption of the topographical script.”

The inaugural Sculpture on the Farm exhibition will be held in the
gardens of “Fosterton” (824 Fosterton Road)

a picturesque cattle

property on the outskirts of Dungog in the Hunter Valley, NSW.
Set aside the 2018 October Long Weekend - Saturday 29 and

Sunday 30 September 9am – 5pm
Monday 1 October 9am – 12 noon for this exciting new
sculpture exhibition of both indoor and

outdoor works, large and

small.
Sculpture on the Farm will be held in conjunction with the
renowned Dungog Festival, which celebrates the arts, local food
and rural life.

Official opening Cocktail Party - Friday 28 September
2018 5pm – 7pm
($65 a ticket and free for exhibiting artists - tickets will be available

SCULPTURE ON THE FARM

online through the Dungog Festival website,)

www.sculptureonthefarm.com or by

contacting

Philippa Graham by email on pdgraham@graers.com
Issue 26 - July 2018

150

Testa Dura II
Vince Vozzo
In this exhibition, Sydney-based artist Vince Vozzo
explores his Italian-Australian heritage and shows
how it has inspired his art practice.
Vinceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s father Domenico arrived in Sydney in 1927,
but was interned at Hay, NSW, for five years during
WWII. He was then sent out to work as a Prisoner of
War in different parts of Australia, including Alice

Springs, Northern Territory and Butlers Gorge,
Tasmania.
This is a personal history of first generation ItalianAustralians during WWI and WWII.

Rhino Images - Art and the Rhinoceros
Lorraine Fildes and Robert Fildes.
Art and the Rhinoceros - There are over three hundred Rhino images in this book.

Whether in the ancient past or in the present the rhinos are always represented as huge, powerful and solitary animals. The
book includes paintings, drawings, woodcuts, etchings, rock carvings and sculptures of the rhino all depicting the power of
the animal.
These images of the rhino range from early civilisations such as in China, Roman Empire, Indus civilisation in Pakistan/
India area and from Southern Africa down to current day images of paintings and sculptures produced by modern day
artists.
The text indicates where you may find these wonderful images as well as the websites of the artists concerned, the caves
where the rhino images have been found and the places where posters use the rhino image.
There are very few of these magnificent wild animals left in the world, so unless they are protected and managed, artistic
images will soon be the only viewing option.

Rhino Images â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Art and the Rhinoceros, First Edition, 2017, is available for download at The Rhino
Resource Centre web site.
Direct Link :

Sehmisch studied architecture in Weiner, Germany, before studying fashion in Halie. Since 1998, she has
worked as a fashion and hat designer, created stage outfits, including hand-made felt hats and dresses,
and taught at various European colleges. Her highly original sculptural techniques have attracted attention,
with her work widely exhibited in Germany and France.

Sehmisch has worked with felt, other textiles and even building materials during her career to create her
amazing work. She has used techniques such as lamellae, cracks, chambers and helixes to create architecturally based felt structures. Her approach is based in geometric designs.
“I presume my love for sculptural surfaces, three dimensional objects and geometrics has its origins in my

FANCY
â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Eclectic smooth grunge with vibes (occasionally), three-piece fun band with excellent musical taste and a
unique sound. Donna Cavanough on vocals, Lenny Burgess the engine on guitar, John O'Brien playing

vibraphone and all manner of other instrumentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7TTMEWHOWY&feature=share

A tribute to the exhibition and artists for There Be Unicorns Out There, an exhibition at Dungog By Design in
November 2017. All the artworks appear, though not all the artists (only whoever was around on the day!).
I'm very proud of the way I've honoured them and their work. This is Fancy's first official music video. The
song is available on most platforms - buy it and we'll love you forever. Vocals Donna Cavanough. Guitars
Lenny Burgess. Backing vocals & synthetics & production John O'Brien. Lyrics John, music John & Donna.
Video produced by John O'Brien.